Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Costa Rican counterpart on the deployment of Russian troops and equipment to Nicaragua.

Since 2012, Nicaragua's Congress has approved the entry of foreign military personnel, including Russians, into the country. The recent Nicaraguan presidential decree again authorises access to Nicaragua for military assets from the United States, Russia and regional countries for humanitarian reasons and training. The Minister for Latin America, Vicky Ford MP, met with Costa Rica's Foreign Minister, Arnold's Andre, at the Summit of Americas on 9 June 2022 and discussed the 7 June 2022 decree, amongst other issues. We have also discussed this issue with other partners in the Americas and will continue to monitor the situation.